Orange County NC Website
70 <br /> MA-60 Broadband Needs of Housing occupied by Low- and Moderate-Income <br /> Households - 91.210(a)(4), 91.310(a)(2) <br /> Describe the need for broadband wiring and connections for households, including low- and <br /> moderate-income households and neighborhoods. <br /> Per 2014-2018 5-year American Community Survey estimates, 89.6%of people in Orange County live in <br /> a household with a broadband internet subscription. However, subscriptions to broadband internet is <br /> lower for some racial/ethnic minorities: 75.9%for African-Americans, and 84.1%for Hispanics.Among <br /> the four most populous racial/ethnic minorities in Orange County,Asians have the highest rates of <br /> broadband internet subscriptions at 94.5%. <br /> Subscriptions to broadband internet is lower for low-income populations as well: 71.8%of households <br /> earning below$10,000 per year have broadband internet access and 70.9%of households earning <br /> $10,000-19,999 have broadband internet access. It is possible that some, if not many, persons in these <br /> income categories instead access the internet through a mobile device. <br /> The high rates of broadband internet access, even for lower-income populations, indicates that the vast <br /> majority of Orange County is wired for broadband internet. Areas with lower access to broadband <br /> internet include more rural portions of Orange County furthest from urban centers. <br /> Describe the need for increased competition by having more than one broadband Internet <br /> service provider serve the jurisdiction. <br /> There are several broadband internet providers in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, including Spectrum <br /> (formerly Time Warner), AT&T, and Google Fiber. There are fewer broadband internet providers in other <br /> areas of Orange County. Orange County is currently in the middle of a 3-year pilot project with Open <br /> Broadband, LLC, to bring broadband access to more households in rural Orange County. <br /> IFFY 2020—2024 Orange County, NC HOME Consortium 67 <br /> Consolidated Plan <br /> OMB Control No:2506-0117(exp.06/30/2018) <br />